


In Ice And Snow

by Kyuubiluver342



Category: RWBY
Genre: Bottom Qrow Branwen, M/M, Protective Qrow Branwen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2019-11-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:48:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21529342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyuubiluver342/pseuds/Kyuubiluver342
Summary: The mission went well, but when they went to leave, a Grimm attacks. Qrow stays behind to stop it, but the team fears the worst (Takes alternative route after Episode 3.)
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, Qrow Branwen/James Ironwood
Comments: 9
Kudos: 330
Collections: rubess





	In Ice And Snow

_ “Lucky you.”  _ Clover’s words echoed in his head and Qrow felt a faint wave of embarrassment. 

The mission was complete, they were just clearing out some of the last Grimm. Qrow had tried to go off on his own, as always, but Clover insisted on following him. Said it would be better to stay in small groups or some nonsense like that. Even now, they basically were fighting back to back, wiping out the Grimm left and right.

_ “Lucky you.” _ If there was one thing Qrow wasn’t, it was lucky. Bad luck, misfortune, broken hearts and shattered dreams were the only kind of luck that Qrow understood.

Clover’s fishing hook shot past his cheek and hit the Grimm coming up behind him. Qrow nodded his thanks and Clover winked his way. No more distractions! He needed to focus!

“I think that’s the last of them.” Clover said as they watched the Grimm fade away to nothing.

Qrow placed his sword on his back, shivering slightly. Maybe he should have brought a coat with longer sleeves or something.

“For now, at least.” Qrow grumbled.

Clover smiled his way and Qrow blinked.

“It gives us a little breathing room.” Clover replied.

Qrow raised an eyebrow. So an optimist. Goodie. Those kinds of people often pissed Qrow off.

“Whatever you say.” Qrow shrugged, hands in his pockets.

They kept going, deeper into the mine to make sure there weren’t any hidden hordes they needed to worry about. The farther they went, the more Qrow became concerned. There was so much dust, it was everywhere! He had a bad feeling about all of this.

“Are we sure this is a good idea?” Qrow’s voice was low, barely a whisper.

Clover looked at him funny, confusion in his eyes.

“Of course. General Ironwood has already done the calculations and he said that this place is the only place where the tower would be able to reach all four continents.” Clover stated.

“But what about the dust? I mean one mistake…” Qrow knew mistakes.

He knew accidents and miscalculations and mistakes really, really well. His mind buzzed with all the horrible things that could, or would, go wrong. Especially if Qrow was involved in this project.

“A mistake? We don’t really do mistakes here.” Clover said simply.

Qrow sighed as they kept going. God, this mine went on forever didn’t it? Clover tapped his com, only to frown.

“Looks like we are too far away. Coms are cut off.” Clover said simply.

Qrow had to hold back a shudder. If there was a cave in or they were attacked and overwhelmed, they would certainly die down here. He stopped and turned his head, eyes tracing the walls and ceiling.

“Maybe we should head back up.” Qrow stated.

Clover glanced at him and frowned.

“We need to finish cleaning out the Grimm though. Based on the map, we should only have a little corridor left.” Clover stated pointing.

Qrow stared at him and let out a breath. He was so young. He had no idea.

“I’ll go then. You stay here.” Qrow commanded.

Clover blinked, startled.

“I don’t understand. It would be best to go together.” Clover replied confused.

“No, it will be best for me to go ahead, check it out and you stay here.” Qrow stated coldly.

Clover crossed his arms.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do that. It goes against protocol.” Clover explained.

Qrow blew out a harsh breath.

“Look, Clover, I get that, but trust me on this. Stay here.” Qrow demanded.

Clover held his ground a minute more before slowly nodding.

“General Ironwood told me to trust you, so I will.” Clover finally said and Qrow let out a sigh of relief.

Maybe it was the cold or maybe he was just happy to have a second to himself, but he nodded Clover’s way before he started walking. He moved slowly, cautiously. You didn’t live as long as he did by throwing yourself into situations you didn’t understand. (A lot of his old teammates would argue he did just that, but he always had a reason, ok?) He rounded the corner and found a dead end. No Grimm, no danger. He let out a sigh of relief.

“All clear?” Clover asked, his voice coming from right next to him.

Qrow jumped, almost slamming back against the wall in shock.

“What are you doing!” Qrow hissed.

Clover blinked at him, his green eyes bright.

“Making sure you had back-up in case something went wrong.” Clover replied.

“You said you would wait!” Qrow snapped.

Clover smirked.

“I didn’t say how long I would wait.” Clover winked at him and Qrow groaned as he rubbed his face.

“Kids these days. I thought you guys were supposed to be good at following orders.” Qrow said as they started to walk back.

“I am… when I need to.” Clover said happily.

Qrow just shook his head. He hated how much he saw himself in Clover. The cockiness, the clever wit, the disregard for orders when it counted. Qrow scowled. Ironwood really knew how to pick them, huh?

“Let’s just get back.” Qrow stated.

Back at the mine entrance, Qrow watched as the ships from earlier came back to get them Vaguely, he listened to Ruby ramble on to Harriet about something she had done while at Beacon while Harriet laughed and he smiled. That girl, always making friends with everyone. He was happy to see her in better spirits.

“Alright, ships have landed. Let’s move out!” Clover called.

Qrow watched as team RWBY and JNR raced to the ships, first ones to get on. Clover and his team were focused on making sure everyone got on safely as Qrow kept an eye on the mine, making sure nothing they had missed came crawling out.

“Qrow!” Clover called when everyone was on board.

Nodding his head, he raced to the ship, ready to hop on when the ground crumbled under his feet. He felt himself begin to fall backwards, the ice and snow giving way as a large Grimm shot out of the ground. The one they missed. His horror was short lived as he grabbed his weapon and turned around.

“Uncle Qrow!” Ruby and Yang were screaming, but Qrow knew if this Grimm destroyed the ship, it would be over for them all.

“Go! Go now!” he roared.

His sword sliced off of the arms reaching for the ship and the Grimm let out a howl of agony. It’s beady eyes turned to him and he grinned. 

“That’s it, you stupid bastard! Come at me!” Qrow could see the ship’s doors closing, ready to take off and get free of the area.

“Uncle Qrow!” Ruby’s final scream was cut off as the Grimm and he started to fall.

“Protect those kids, Clover.” was Qrow’s last thought before he hit the ground.

Clover stared in horror as the ground gave way under Qrow’s feet, as a large Grimm they had no idea existed came shooting out of the ground at them. The girls, Ruby and Yang, were screaming as Qrow turned. He can see the moment where fear turned to determination. As Qrow’s hand reached up for his weapon and he was ready to fight.

“Go! Go now!” Qrow yelled and Clover has no choice, but to listen.

“Let’s go! Close the doors!” Clover yelled to the crew.

“Wait! You can’t!” Yang replied, her eyes alight with rage.

“We have no choice! If this plane crashes, it will set off all the dust in the mine! We could blow this whole area to hell!” Clover explained.

Yang was staring at him, Elm was physically holding Ruby back from throwing herself out the door and to the ground below while Vine placed himself between Weiss and Blake, holding their arms. He turned to watch Qrow disappear under the ice and snow with the Grimm, unable to think about his own horror. He waited to see if there was any movement, but there was nothing. He grit his teeth as the mine disappeared as they rose into the clouds. Ruby let out a choked cry as Elm let her go.

Yang was shaking, her hands clenched tightly into fists. Clover looked over the team before him before straightening his spine.

“We’ll return for him. I promise.” Clover declared.

“If he’s even alive.” Weiss whispered.

“Don’t say that! Don’t you dare say that!” Yang snarled.

“Yang, Weiss.” Ruby called.

They stopped, looking at her as she stood up. She lightly wiped the tears from her eyes before turning to Clover.

“What do we do now?” she asked.

Clover nodded.

“We return to General Ironwood and tell him what happened. We will make a plan from there.” Clover decided.

Ruby nodded before she walked over to the back of the ship. She sat down on the floor, slightly curled in a ball. Yang sighed and walked over, wrapping an arm around her shoulders after she sat down next to her. The rest of team RWBY and JNR quickly joined them. Clover swallowed hard and looked at his own team.

“Step on it. I want to be back at Altas Academy now.” he told the pilot.

When they landed, Ironwood and Winter were waiting for them. They seemed pleased, probably expecting a report about a job well done, but when they saw their faces, Ironwood’s face dropped.

“What happened?” he demanded.

“There was an accident…” Clover whispered.

It burned him to say those words. His team didn’t have accidents. They didn’t fail. He had prided himself on that, but this time? It looked like his luck ran out. Ironwood looked stricken.

“We need to go back!” Ruby said desperately.

“Ms. Rose.” Ironwood started.

“No! He could still be alive! We need to go back! Please!” Ruby begged.

Ironwood looked confused, but Winter caught on quickly.

“Wait… where is Qrow?” Winter demanded.

Realization dawned on Ironwood’s face before he turned on his heel.

“Clover, with me! I want a full report right now!” he barked.

Clover ran after him as did Winter, Jaune, and Ruby.

“Please, General Ironwood! We need to go back for Uncle Qrow!” Ruby begged.

“Ms. Rose.” Winter started, but Ironwood shook his head at her.

“We will. Our next plan of attack is going back for your uncle. We will not leave a good soldier in that mine.” Ironwood stated.

Qrow panted hard, staring as the Grimm before him faded away. He stabbed his sword into the ground, body shaking as he looked himself over.

“So much for my new clothes.” he mumbled as he stared at the tears in his pants and jacket.

Thankfully, there was enough to cover his dignity, but not much else. He let out a sigh, resting his forehead on the handle before he straightened up. Looking up, he could see the light where the ceiling had caved in, but there was no way he could climb his way out. Using the sword as a walking cane, he started to move, looking around as he tried to figure out where he was. All the tunnels looked the same to him and he huffed, hoping he could find a way out, least he freeze or starve to death.

“Just great.” Qrow muttered.

If he got out, the first thing he was doing was taking a hot shower. Oh yeah, a really, really hot shower. As hot as he could make it, hot enough to use up all the hot water. Then he was going to gorge himself on as much food as he could. They would have to roll him out of the room when he was done. Then he was going to sleep, sleep for days if he could. He deserved it after all he had been through.

“That’s a plan. I like that plan.” Qrow muttered as he kept walking.

He had no idea where he was going. It seemed like he was moving upwards, but who the hell knows? Qrow paused and there was an actual moment where he considered just laying down and not moving again. It was so cold and he was so tired, so lost. Maybe it would be best to just stop and let nature take its course. 

His mind suddenly flashed to the barn where the Apathy were and he shuddered. He had never, ever felt such hopeless and despair. He could honestly say, it it weren’t for the team, he would have ended up like the other poor souls in that house.

“Enough. Keep going.” he hissed.

One foot in front of the other. If he thought about it that way, it was easy. He just kept putting one foot in front of the other, he would get somewhere… right?

Ironwood rubbed his eyes, sighing deeply. Winter looked annoyed while Clover, Ruby and Jaune all looked ashamed.

“I cannot believe how completely irresponsible you were! You didn’t even consider the fact that a Grimm could be hiding nearby?” Winter demanded.

“Schnee, enough. There is nothing we can do about that now. We need to put together a plan to find Qrow.” Ironwood stated.

“We should go back right away. He could be trapped under the ice and snow. My team can…” Clover was cut off.

“No. Your team has done enough. You all need rest. I will send out the search and rescue to find him.” Ironwood stated.

Clover frowned. He understood Ironwood’s thought process, but Clover didn’t see how that team could do better than his team.

“General, I must insist.” Clover replied.

Ironwood looked at him, eyes hard.

“Clover. Enough. Your team just spent the last few hours fighting Grimm in those tunnels. You need rest. Sending you all back out is just asking for another disaster.” Ironwood demanded.

Ruby took a step forward then, her hands clasped together.

“I am going after my uncle. You can tell me not to all you want, but if he needs me, I will be there.” Ruby stated with Jaune nodding by her side.

Ironwood sighed deeply. Winter turned to her.

“What are you going to do if we say no? Steal another aircraft? Ms. Rose, you need to learn your actions will have consequences here.” Winter explained.

Ruby locked eyes with her. There was something about her that was fierce and Clover had to admit, this girl had more guts than most people he knew.

“If that’s what it takes, I’ll steal a hundred airships. I will be going after my uncle, with or without your permission. Consequences be damned.” Ruby replied calmly.

Winter flushed, looking furious, but Ironwood seemed to understand.

“You really are his niece, huh?” he said quietly before coughing.

“Schnee, call for my airship. We are going after Qrow.” Ironwood demanded.

“General!” Clover and Winter said in shock.

“No, Ms. Rose is right. Every minute we waste standing here means certain death. Gathering the search and rescue will take time we don’t have. Get my ship, we are heading out. Clover, Rose, Arc, you all are with me.” Ironwood stated.

Winter looked like she was about to argue some more, but Ironwood was already moving and she had no choice, but to follow his lead. Ruby and Jaune were quick to chase after Ironwood, talking about various ideas they had while Ironwood nodded along. Clover walked behind them, watching as the two younger members came up with a plan to save the older huntsman. Clover just hoped they still had some luck on their side.

Qrow leaned against a wall and just stared. Another corner and another dead end. If he wasn’t so used to disappointment right now, he might have actually cried.

“I am so fucked, aren’t I?” he whispered.

He wasn’t even sure if this was his semblance any more or if these tunnels were all just starting to look the same. He turned around and fucking hell, his body ached. The only thing that was making this easy was that he hadn’t found any more Grimm. It seemed like that last one was the final boss.

“Lucky me.” he said with a snort.

He kept going, keeping an eye out for the marks he had made on the walls. A bird’s feather were easy and quick and something he used a lot. He kept going, trying to keep his eyes open. His fingers and toes had lost all feeling in them, despite his attempts to save them by wrapping his tattered cape around them. He just hoped they won’t have to be amputated.

“Fuck, what am I going to do?” Qrow whispered.

He came to a room, filled with different tunnels and no signs. Which one did he take? Which one did he follow? It was times like these, where he was alone and lost, that he wondered why he bothered. A flash of Ruby’s face, of Yang’s face, of Tai and Summer and even Ironwood popped into his head and he grit his teeth.

“What the fuck am I doing?” he hissed shaking his head.

Since when did Qrow Branwen doubt himself this badly? He was going to get out of here, bad luck be damned! He had two little girls to get back to and a whole group of people who needed him. He was not about to let them down. He kept going.

Ironwood stared at the icy mine before him and his eyes narrowed. Somewhere in these icy tunnels, Qrow was waiting for them. He could see where the ice had crumbled away, leaving a gaping hole in the ground. The size alone told him how big the Grimm had actually been. His team had been lucky to get out without injury.

“Clover, with me. Ms Rose, Ms Schnee, Ms Belladonna and Ms Xiao Long, I want you to protect this ship. If it goes down, our way off this mountain is gone. Schnee, hold this ship steady.” Ironwood demanded.

“What about us?” Nora asked.

“Mr. Arc, Ms Valkyrie and Mr. Ren, I want you with the Ace Ops by the back of the ship. Anything that moves? Shoot it.” Ironwood said as he adjusted his gun.

They saluted him as Ruby stepped forward. Her eyes were calm, but scared.

“Please. Bring him home.” she whispered.

He swallowed, he could see in her eyes that she meant that whether he was alive or not.

“I will find him and I will bring him back alive.” Ironwood stated.

Ruby nodded and gave him a small smile.

“Good luck.” she whispered.

Clover just tapped his charm.

“With me around? Always.” Ironwood and Clover jumped, landing on the ground.

It shook for a moment and the two men feared another cave in, but the ground settled and they started towards the hole. Clover made sure to set up a rope and pulley system to get them out when they were done. When it was all set, Ironwood and Clover entered the mine, taking to slow. As Ironwood’s boots hit the ground, he took note of something nearby. Walking over, his fingers traced a mark on the wall.

“Qrow went this way.” Ironwood stated.

“Smart man. Marking his path.” Clover replied.

“Qrow is a lot smarter than he appears. He’s an experienced huntsmen for a reason.” Ironwood stated.

They continued on, following the marks as they walked. Clover had his fishing rod ready while Ironwood kept a hand on his gun. They paused when they heard movement on the other side of a wall, bodies tense with anticipation. Ironwood stood there, hand ready to pull his gun the second he saw a Grimm when Qrow poked his head around the corner and all of them stared at each other with wide eyed shock.

“James, nice to see you again, I think.” Qrow said.

Qrow looked worse for wear, but he was alive and that’s all Ironwood cared about. Ironwood let out a breath he had no idea he had been holding as Clover called in that they had found Qrow. He could hear the cheers on the other end.

“Good to see you too, my friend.” Ironwood said honestly and Qrow cracked a smile.

“If you’re this happy to see me, maybe I should get trapped in mines more often.” Qrow joked.

“Please don’t.” Ironwood replied exasperated.

“No fun, Jimmy. You don’t like coming to save my ass?” Qrow said as Ironwood wrapped Qrow’s arm around his shoulders.

He looked like he could use someone to lean on. Qrow didn’t pull away and Ironwood was pleased.

“I can’t tell if you are being your usual annoying self or if the cold has gotten to you.” Ironwood stated.

“I’m thinking both.” Clover said as they started their way back.

“I will have you know, I can be extremely annoying without being hypothermic, thanks.” Qrow pouted.

“Yes, I know.” Ironwood sighed and Qrow let out a snort.

“God, if Ice Queen could see you now. I think she might tear up.” Qrow laughed and Ironwood just shook his head.

“Stop trying to traumatized my soldiers.” Ironwood grumbled.

“It’s fun though!” Qrow snickered.

“General, we are almost to the point.” Clover said.

Watching them interact was fascinating if you asked Clover. Qrow seemed to know just how to get under the General’s skin, which was amazing to watch. Yet, Ironwood seemed almost relaxed about it.

“Good work. Hopefully no issues have happened uptop.” Ironwood said.

The second those words left his mouth, Qrow cursed, loudly.

“James! Honestly, you would think you would know better than to say that shit around me!” Qrow snapped with anger.

It took Clover a second to understand and then he heard gunshots above them.

“General, several hordes of Grimm have appeared! The ship is under attack!” Winter yelled over the com.

Ironwood actually looked a bit sheepish, as if just realizing how badly he had fucked up. Qrow pulled away from him, body so cold he had stopped shaking by this point.

“We need to get up there, give them reinforcements.” Qrow demanded.

“If we go up there, there’s a good chance we could get hit.” Ironwood replied.

There was a sudden loud bang and the ground shuddered under their feet. Ironwood was starting to look very, very concerned, staring at the ground and walls while Qrow stood there with an expression Clover had only seen once before; resigned acceptance. Qrow turned to Ironwood and Ironwood looked at him and Clover was getting the feeling there was more to their relationship than he understood.

“James, go. Take Clover and get back on the ship.” Qrow demanded.

“What?” Ironwood said and did he sound confused?

“Get back up top and get back on the ship. Get as far away from here as you can.” Qrow explained.

There was no panic to his voice, no fear. Just an understanding and a gentle push towards the rope still hanging down.

“We’ll all get back on the ship. Clover, start heading up. Tell Winter to have team RWBY assist with clearing out the Grimm.” Ironwood demanded.

A hand landed on his shoulder and he turned to look at Qrow, who just smiled.

“If I go up there, they will all die.” Qrow said gently.

Oh, so that was it. Clover held the rope, feeling a bit out of his league. Ironwood turned to Qrow fully and there was anger there.

“Grab the rope, Branwen. I will not listen to this nonsense a minute more. I am not leaving you here to die.” Ironwood said coldly.

Qrow sighed.

“James. My semblance will kill us all. Thank you for coming to get me, but if you don’t leave now, you are going to end up killing everyone.” Qrow stated.

Clover looked up, listening to the sounds above. They sounded like they were dying out.

“Sir, we have the Grimm mostly cleared. Get out of there!” Winter demanded.

Clover swallowed and nodded his head.

“You’re right, your semblance could kill everyone.” Clover smirked and tapped his charm.

“But mine? Mine will keep us alive.” Clover said simply.

Ironwood nodded.

“Qrow, you go up first. Clover directly afterwards. I will bring up the rear. Move!” Ironwood commanded.

He pushed Qrow towards the rope without waiting for him to say anything more and Qrow looked at them before nodding. They climbed quickly, finding the place in chaos when they got up there. The ship was hovering, bullets raining down on the Grimm still there. Qrow used his sword to block some of the bullets, all three of them racing towards the ship. There, a rope fell and they started to climb. Clover pressed one hand to his charm, praying with all his might that his luck wouldn't give out of them now.

The rope was pulled up the last few inches and Clover rolled into the ship, closing the door with a snap of his wrist. A cry made him look up and Ruby and Yang both hugged Qrow desperately. He hugged them back, pressing his lips to the top of each of their heads. Nora sniffled and Qrow smiled at her, holding out his arm a bit. Before long, he had both team RWBY and JNR wrapped around him.

“And he says he’s not good with kids.” Ironwood muttered.

Clover raised an eyebrow as Ironwood grabbed a blanket and handed it over to Qrow as he was released from the hug pile. Qrow walked over to a seat and sat down, sighing as he closed his eyes.

“Schnee, take us to Atlas.” Ironwood commanded.

Qrow had hypothermia, which wasn’t a shock. He also needed a new change of clothes, which is what Clover was carrying to the med bay when he heard something he shouldn’t have.

“Did you really think I would leave you there to die?” Ironwood’s voice demanded when Clover went to knock on the door.

Clover paused, fist raised before he pressed an ear to the door. If anyone saw him or realized what he was doing, he would be in a boat load of trouble, but he just had to know. There was a long sigh.

“James, I was doing what was best.” Qrow said calmly.

Clover jumped when he heard something hit the wall.

“Qrow, if that’s what you thought was best, I’m shocked you are still alive.” Ironwood said coldly.

“Listen, I got the kids this far, alright? I can’t help them anymore, you saw that for yourself.” Qrow replied hotly.

“So that’s it? You were just going to die down there? Leave nothing for either of your nieces to bury?” Ironwood asked.

There was another loud bang and Clover hoped no one came running to see what that was all about.

“Damnit, James, it would have been better than them dying trying to save me!” Qrow snarled.

There was silence and then Ironwood spoke.

“And what about me, Qrow? I’m just supposed to leave the man behind who owned my heart once?” Ironwood asked.

Clover flushed as he sucked in a huge breath. What?

“James… I know what you think. Once we defeat Salem, we can finally go back to the way things were before we knew she existed. Believe me, I want that more than you could ever, ever imagine. But one of us dying is a huge possibility, remember? That’s why we walked away.” Qrow stated.

Clover stood there, frozen, eyes wide.

“Are you saying, even after Salem is gone, it might be too late for us?” Ironwood asked and he sounded sad.

God, would anyone believe him if he told them he heard this conversation? Probably not.

“No, I don’t believe that. Not one bit, but fuck, James! Everything good that has ever happened to me in my life has disappeared at one point or another! I can’t start to believe that you or I will still be alive when this is all over because it will crush me if it doesn’t come true! You don’t think I want to believe that?” Qrow begged.

Ironwood was quiet and he vaguely heard movement before a creak.

“Qrow… The only thing keeping me going right now is the belief that one day, Salem will be gone and I will be able to hand this title off to someone else. That one day, I can just become James Ironwood again and you will be by my side when that happens.” Ironwood stated.

There was a choked sound and Clover took a step back. He looked at the clothes in his hands before turning away.


End file.
